With that said, VyprVPN is not an end-all protection, or a penultimate security solution, but like most options in life it provides some benefits with some costs (TANSTAAFL). If, for example, you setup the VyprVPN network-wide on your TomatoUSB (RAF) ASUS RT-N16 router, and are a gamer, you will almost undoubtedly experience a significant increase in latency while playing over the Internet. So, while gaming you may need to disable the VyprVPN connection, or only selectively enable it on a system on which you don’t game. The good news, however, is that the latency incurred by this setup, even when sending the connection from the West Coast of America to North-Central Europe, was otherwise all but unnoticeable. Even while browsing heavily, using SABnzbd+, and making VOIP calls there was either no noticeable increase in delays or they were so small as to cause myself (and sedux when she tested it) to question if they were related to VyprVPN or just an issue with a particular website’s server or a hiccup on part of my ISP or DNS server (OpenDNS).

And honestly, apart from the cost, a crippling increase in latency when gaming, and the time it takes to perform the relatively easy (though not quite properly documented) setup, the VyprVPN implementation has very few other drawbacks. If one was to pick nits, other foibles might include peculiarities such as Giganews blocking new sign-ups while using their VyprVPN service, getting Google’s French page, French contextual ads, and other sites automatically redirecting me to their Netherlands or French site while using the Amsterdam VyprVPN server. This of course could be easily fixed by using the London, or one of the two USA based VyprVPN servers, but in testing I wanted to pick the potentially most “liberal” end-point.

Attempting to pick an end-point in a “liberal” state was mainly because running VyprVPN in general, and using an international end-point specifically, may also have other benefits if used in conjunction with HTTPS Everywhere, other end-to-end encryption implementations, or The Onion Router (Tor). Vice versa, Tor, HTTPS Everywhere, and other solutions, may provide a functional compliment to VyprVPN and mitigate some of its security and anonymity weaknesses.

Apart from the VyprVPN functional implementation (as in the technology at work), and its benefits and costs, VyprVPN, as a product, currently also has some drawbacks. At this time, only one connection is allowed to the VyprVPN servers. So, if you have a mobile device and a home network, only one or the other can be connected at a time to VyprVPN. As this is such a standard usage scenario this seems like a bit of an oversight with the service in general. A possible solution to this however, would be to run both a VPN client and server on your TomatoUSB (RAF) router, but if that is even technically feasible, the technicalities involved will place it out of reach of most potential VyprVPN users.

Combine this with the seemingly hefty price of $15 or $20 per month for the VyprVPN service (direct from Golden Frog), and I’m not quite sure if they’ve yet found the sweet-spot for this product. I’d really like to see the standard, PPTP, 128-bit only VyprVPN service be offered at around $5, but with an additional second concurrent connection (maybe even for another $5). From there, the VyprVPN Pro service, with the 256-bit encryption courtesy of the more robust OpenVPN (and IPSec/L2TP) could stay at its current $20 dollar mark or even go up to $30, while adding the NAT Firewall (with the ability to disable or configure it), a dedicated IP, and maybe a third concurrent connection. The low price on the standard VyprVPN service would offer a reasonably priced safety net, that just about anyone could afford (and justify). Then, the VyprVPN Pro service would offer some real feature increases at a higher cost for those with the money to spend and the need or desire for them.

As it currently stands though, there are some decent reasons to consider using this service, but the initial price (that is nearly half that of my current Internet connection, and more than a Supernews Usenet connection), may simply shy away too many potential customers.  As neat as this service is, and as much as I like running it as an additional safe-guard and safety net, and even with the technical knowledge of the benefits it provides, I just can’t say that it is worth the price. So, unless you already have a Giganews account, or you have some money to burn, or think its a fair price for a (potential) insurance policy, I’d say wait and see if they come out with some specials or, adjust their prices, or add additional features to their current offerings!

If you do decide to bite, and give VyprVPN a go, and would like some help getting this installed, or would like to see this topic addressed in a future guide let me know!

Cheers all!